Alan Jones has admitted he made repeated and "savage" criticisms about Queensland's prominent Wagner family, who are suing him for defamation.
The talkback radio host appeared in the witness box of the Brisbane Supreme Court on Thursday to defend himself against the multi-million-dollar lawsuit.
After earlier fighting back tears as he talked about the 12 people who died in the flood at Grantham in 2011, he engaged in a feisty cross-examination by barrister Tom Blackburn SC.
Jones admitted he repeatedly criticised the Wagner family on air for several years and only stopped once they launched legal action.
He admitted his broadcasts were "very" savage but denied they were vicious.
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The Toowoomba-based Wagner brothers are suing the outspoken talkback host, as well as Harbour Radio, 4BC and newspaper journalist Nick Cater, over 32 broadcasts in 2014 and 2015.
John, Denis, Neill and Joe allege they were accused of the deaths of 12 people in the town of Grantham during the 2011 floods, when one of the walls of the Lockyer Valley quarry they owned collapsed.
They claim they were also subjected to constant abuse, including accusations of a high-level cover-up with politicians, corruption and intimidation relating to their Wellcamp Airport.
Jones largely stood by his allegations, including that the Wagners had lied about the natural landscape of the quarry and the cause of the Grantham flood.
He claimed they were the honest opinions he formed based on the research he and his team had done.
Mr Blackburn repeatedly accused Jones of irresponsible reporting because of his failure to tell the family he was going to make "grave allegations" of misconduct on air.
But the radio broadcaster said his team had previously contacted them and they had made it "quite clear" they wouldn't speak to him.
"That wasn't going to force me to remain silent about the Wagners and their persistent assertions on a range of fronts which were damaging to a lot of people," he said.
"They were given a chance to come on the program and they didn't, full stop."
Mr Blackburn put to Jones they had refused to go on air, not speak to him entirely.
"I think the answer was they wouldn't speak to Alan Jones," he said.
The radio broadcaster said when it came to both the floods and the airport, he was sticking up for residents, who felt they weren't being heard.
Jones said the locals could handle the loss of assets, homes and property, but not the fact their opinions weren't being considered.
"I was the only person at the time, representing in Australia, the concerns of these people," he said, referring to the Grantham disaster.
